Dear Management of Horse Shows, Exhibitions, Sales, and Auctions (Management),
Horse Industry Organizations and Associations (HIOs), and Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs):
At the start of this year, I committed to strengthening USDA’s engagement with you and enhancing our oversight of the DQP program. I want to thank you for the meaningful engagement we have had since then. Over the past few months, my team and I have met with trainers, show managers, exhibitors, and HIO leadership. We also trained alongside DQPs, hosted an open house, and attended six early spring horse shows.
During our discussions, you raised questions about the inspection process, the scar rule, and equipment requirements. While we addressed these questions in person, I want everyone to have access to the same information. Along with this letter, we have included answers to your Frequently Asked Questions and copies of the Event Management and DQP Evaluation Forms that USDA personnel will use throughout this show season.
Across all these interactions, one theme has stood out: you want the practice of soring horses to end and for horsemen and horsewomen who carefully breed and patiently train their horses to have a fair chance at competing in horse shows. This shared goal is the benchmark for our progress.
Below are actions each one of you can take to move us closer to our goal this show season. These steps build on what many of you are already doing well and provide a roadmap for continued improvement across the industry.
• Management – Many of you have fostered a culture of integrity at your events—one in which fairness matters and anyone looking for unscrupulous wins knows to go elsewhere. Establishing and maintaining this culture depends on ensuring that DQPs can perform their duties without influence or interference. This means no one, including event staff, should approach DQPs during their tour of duty to discuss specific horses or inspections. When DQPs are allowed to work without influence or interference, they can carefully inspect horses and help you meet your responsibilities under the HPA.
• DQPs – During our joint training session, you demonstrated the ability to conduct careful and thorough inspections of horses to assess compliance with the HPA. Your task now is to bring that same level of consistency to every inspection. Consider using the DQP Evaluation Form as a self-assessment tool to help you track your strengths and identify areas of growth. When questions arise, reach out to your HIO leadership or my team at [email protected]. We are invested in your success and ready to support you.
• HIOs – Now that your DQPs have completed their annual training requirements, this is the time to monitor and evaluate their performance. You should see the same level of thoroughness of DQP inspections whether USDA is present or not. If one of your DQPs fails to follow required procedures or standards, the Horse Protection regulations require that you issue a written warning, then cancel their license after a second violation. This accountability process ensures that DQPs are held to consistent expectations and are provided with a chance to improve. We are here to help. For supplemental training opportunities for your DQPs, please contact us at [email protected].
As we continue this work together, your feedback remains vital. If you have suggestions for improvement, please reach out to me at [email protected]. Thank you for your partnership, your leadership, and your commitment to ensuring a successful show season grounded in fairness, integrity, and shared responsibility.
Sincerely,
Bernadette Juarez
Deputy Administrator
Animal Care
2026 Horse Show Season
Frequently Asked Questions
Will USDA enforce the scar rule this season?
No, USDA will not enforce the scar rule this season due to an ongoing lawsuit. USDA will continue to apply the statutory definition of sore when evaluating horses for compliance with the HPA, including identifying horses that exhibit abnormal sensitivity or inflammation (such as redness and swelling) associated with soring practices.
Will USDA require management to enforce the scar rule this season?
No, USDA will not require management to enforce the scar rule this season due to an ongoing lawsuit. However, the horse industry enforced its own scar rule long before the USDA added it to the regulations in 1979. Therefore, the decision to allow horses to bear scars and other evidence of past abuse indicative of soring is up to you—the show managers, HIO leadership, and judges, as well as the owners, trainers, farriers, riders, and exhibitors of horses themselves.
Will USDA enforce the No Showback Rule?
No, USDA will not enforce the No Showback Rule (i.e., the policy prohibiting horses found sore or otherwise noncompliant with the HPA or regulations from being “shown back” or competing in a subsequent class of the same show). When management (or a DQP acting on behalf of management) disqualifies or prohibits a noncompliant horse from being shown, exhibited, sold, or auctioned, management may decide to allow the horse to be presented for inspection in another class at the same event and, if found compliant, participate in that class.
How do USDA and DQPs determine the bottom of the coronary band?
In accordance with the HPA regulations, USDA and DQPs assess compliance for metal hoof bands, heel-toe ratio, and the 50 percent rule by measuring from the bottom of coronary band or coronet. USDA and DQPs identify the bottom of coronary band by applying pressure with a finger to identify the location where the hoof wall ends and pliable tissue begins.
How do USDA and DQPs measure the heel-toe ratio?
The HPA regulations require the toe length to exceed the height of the heel by 1 inch or more.
• Toe length: measured from the bottom of the coronet band, at the center of the front pastern along the front of the hoof wall, to the ground.
• Heel height: measured from the bottom of the coronet band, at the most lateral portion of the rear pastern, at a 90-degree angle to the ground, at the rear of the shoe. The heel measure excludes normal caulks at the rear of a horseshoe that do not exceed ¾ inch in length. Any portion exceeding ¾ inch is added to heel height.
How do USDA and DQPs assess compliance with the 50 percent rule?
The HPA regulations prohibit artificial extension of the toe length that exceeds 50 percent of the natural hoof length on padded horses.
• Natural hoof length: measured from the bottom of the coronet band to the tip of the toe.
• Artificial extension: measured from the tip of the toe at a 90-degree angle to the shoe surface.
What are the requirements regarding metal hoof bands?
Metal hoof bands must not be placed less than ½ inch below the coronet band and cannot be adjustable by hand (e.g., wingnuts). Bands must be properly tightened before inspection and cannot be adjusted during inspection without approval. After adjustment, the horse may be re-inspected.
What restrictions are there regarding objects and materials inserted between the pad and the hoof?
Only acceptable hoof packing (e.g., pine tar, oakum, rubber, silicone) is allowed. Prohibited items include foreign objects or materials such as metal inserted between pad and hoof. Pads must be made of leather, plastic, or similar pliant material. Therapeutic shoeing under veterinary supervision may be allowed.
Can custodians present horses with tack?
Yes, except tail ties and braces. Stirrups must be secured properly (English pulled up and tucked; Western tied over saddle). USDA and DQPs may request removal of tack or conduct additional inspection if needed.